How Is Branding Different From Brand

Branding is a very common topic of discussion among marketers and companies. But people seldom understand the correct meaning of branding. Yes, there is a common misconception that any company/product that is popular or is doing good is branded, and this misinterpretation is seen even among most brand managers who deal with everything of branding. So what actually is the definition of Branding and how is it not same as Brand?
Branding could be best defined as an 'emotional attachment' that one has with a particular brand. For instance, let us consider a Rolex watch. What would be your first thought when you hear the term 'Rolex'? You would paint a picture in your mind about the high status a Rolex watch brings with it. Exactly. This is what branding is all about - it gets you a clear picture of the product's power and rewards that come with it.

A brand can be defined as a product or a product line. Where as Branding is the bond created between the consumer and the product (brand). There are many such examples that associate the consumer emotionally with its product - Apple, Harley Davidson, Sketchers, Southwest Airline etc. No, IBM, Kawasaki, Ford are not a branded product. They definitely are a brand but not companies that are branded. How? Okay, think of IBM and do you get a clear picture of what someone related with IBM is like? (In the Rolex case, it within no time made you think of 'class'). So now you know the difference between brand and branding.

The great advantage branded companies have is their customer's loyalty. You can never make an Apple user switch to some other brand - you would only end up entering a heated argument. Yes, a branded company's consumers are emotionally attached with the product and cling to it irrespective of the same Product of different Brand being offered at low price. To put it simply - when you are branded, you are more than just a product but a part of the consumer's life which he/she is emotionally attached with.